As the job pie shrinks following the global economic slowdown, here is some good news for youngsters in India preparing to enter the world of work. Hiring is expected to be strong in the second quarter of this year, with the brightest prospects in North India, says the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.
However, compared with last year, the overall job opportunities are expected to be considerably weaker in 2013, says the survey of 5,370 employers across seven sectors in India.
Worldwide, too, the hiring forecast is weak, but India, Brazil, Taiwan and Turkey are set to beat the trend. The outlook is weakest in Italy, Spain, Greece and the Netherlands.
In India, the survey reports the strongest hiring prospects in transportation, utilities, public administration and education, with a net employment outlook of +37 per cent. Robust hiring plans are also indicated in the services sector and the wholesale & retail trade sector, where outlook stands at +32 per cent.
“Employers in the North report the strongest regional hiring prospects. In spite of the market downturn and the uncertainty around the economic and political environment in India, employer hiring intentions remain positive in all seven sectors,” said A.G Rao, Managing Director, ManpowerGroup India.
However, he said there were indications that the selection process would be more rigorous. “Job-seekers can expect additional aptitude tests and extra rounds of interviews,” he added.
Overall, however, the hiring outlook has declined across sectors, with the sharpest fall in the services sector of 22 percentage points, compared with the same period last year. Employers in the manufacturing sector reported the least optimistic hiring plans.
Also, there is good news for those already on the rolls. No employer across sectors indicated trimming of workforce in the next three months.
Regional trends
The most optimistic hiring intentions were reported in the North, where net employment outlook was at +36 per cent, followed by the West, with +32 per cent, South with an outlook of +21 per cent and the East at +15 per cent.